The Ubiquitous Mr Wilkes
by pinklotus
Summary: What if Rhett had gone to Ashley when he heard of Scarlett and Ashley's rumoured affair? What if he turned that anger and passion to Ashley and then discovers some unexpected things about his rival? Slash,please don't read if it offends you.


Ashley/Rhett, revenge, guilty, drunk

Title: The Ubiquitous Mr. Wilkes

Pairing: Rhett/Ashley

Rating: M for sexual situations

Summary: What if Rhett had gone to Ashley the night he heard that Scarlett and Ashley were having an affair, instead of waiting for Scarlett and having the infamous carry her up the stairs scene?

What if he turned that anger and passion to someone else? His rival? And when he does, he discovers some unexpected things about Ashley.

In this story Melanie has already died awhile before: as in the story Ashley and Scarlett were NOT having an affair. India just thought they were because she saw Scarlett kissing Ashley on the cheek.

By nightfall, the news of Ashley and Scarlett's kiss had spread around town like wild fire. With each telling of the story the details got more and more dramatic. By the time the news reached Rhett's ears the story was that they were caught practically naked and fondling each other on the floor of the store.

Now, Rhett was not stupid enough to believe that Scarlett would actually do something like that, but he did believe the basic premise of the story.

Ashley and Scarlett had at the very least shared a kiss.

It wasn't the kiss that bothered him so much, not even the fact that it had been witnessed and he'd been humiliated.

Well, that was not totally true. He was angry that he'd been humiliated.

But what really bothered Rhett was that Scarlett had lied to him. She'd told him that she no longer cared for Ashley. She'd said they were friends and nothing more.

She'd lied-once again.

Rhett spent the evening drinking heavily and brooding, becoming angrier and angrier. Watching the door, waiting for Scarlett to come home so he could unleash some of his pent up fury on her.

When it was almost twelve o'clock, Rhett realized that Scarlett was probably seeking refuge at her Aunt's.

Unless-no, even Scarlett wouldn't be so brazen as to go to Ashley's!

Scarlett wouldn't do that-to Ashley.

Still, the thought wouldn't quite leave his head, so after imagining Scarlett in every conceivable sexual position in Ashley's bed he threw his glass against the fireplace and got up to see if his suspicion was correct.

He kind of hoped it was; he was looking for a fight.

****

He rode his carriage recklessly. He got more furious as the drive went on, so that by the time he got to Ashley's he was pounding on the door and yelling Scarlett's name.

It took about five minutes before very distraught looking Ashley came to the door.

"Rhett! What the hell are you doing? Why are you pounding on the door at 12 midnight, and screaming for Scarlett?"

Rhett pushed past Ashley roughly, looking around the room for evidence of Scarlett's presence.

"Where is she?" Rhett demanded. "Where the fuck is my wife?"

"Scarlett? Why would you think Scarlett was here?" Ashley looked genuinely puzzled.

It struck Rhett that Ashley possibly was the only one in town who HADN'T heard the rumor about the affair.

"You haven't heard? About the affair you and my wife are having?" Rhett asked.

"Affair-affair? What are you talking about? We've never had an affair!"

"Really?" Rhett came closer to Ashley so that there were only a few inches separating the two of them. Ashley instinctively backed away somewhat.

"No! Why would you say something like that?"

"Your sister saw the two of you together!"

"My sister-India said that? It's not true, and I don't know why she would say that! Well, other than the fact that she's always hated Scarlett, been jealous of her."

"She didn't imagine that the two of you were kissing today, did she?"

Ashley paled noticeably at that. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're not a good liar, you know that Ashley?" Rhett laughed mirthlessly.

"Listen to me, listen please! It – wasn't that kind of a kiss!"

"What kind was it, Ashley? What kind of a kiss was it? In fact, why was there a kiss at all? "

Ashley didn't answer.

"Answer me, Ashley! Why were the two of you kissing?"

Ashley took a deep breath. "We were saying goodbye. Scarlett said that she knew we could only be friends. I agreed-and we kissed each other goodbye. That's all it was!"

"You kissed her on the lips to say that you could only be friends? How stupid do you think I am?" Rhett advanced on Ashley and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"I-don't think you're stupid at all," Ashley spoke in a calm voice, seemingly not frightened by how out of control Rhett was becoming.

"You must if you think I'd believe that story! What is it about you? What the hell do you have that makes you so continuously fascinating to my wife? "

Ashley said nothing, aware that whatever he said would only incite Rhett further.

"You know that you are always there with us? Always. No matter what I do for that woman I can never compare to you. I could-and have-given her anything she ever wanted. I've loved her even though I knew she's loved you since I met her. I'd try and make her forget, try to crowd you out of our lives, but you were always there! You still are always there! We travel and you're with us. She's thinking how much you'd love wherever we are. She's thinking that she'd rather you be by her side than me!"

"No, surely that's not true!" Ashley blurted out in spite of himself. "She couldn't possibly be thinking of me when she's with you. That doesn't make any sense!"

Rhett paused for a moment in his ranting and looked questioningly at Ashley. "Why doesn't it make sense?"

Ashley blushed and lowered his eyes, embarrassed at what he'd been thinking. "I don't see why she would think of me when you are around. I don't have your-charm, your flair for lack of a better word. I don't think I have your presence, your passion."

Rhett stared at Ashley, somewhat taken aback. "Are you trying to flatter me so I believe your story?"

"No!" Ashley felt even more mortified than he had before he'd spoken, if that were possible.

"Well, I'm telling you that I know Scarlett. And she gets this dreamy look on her face whenever she thinks of you. She's had it since she was a girl. It's a look I know all too well. And you are everywhere! On our trips, at Tara, in our house. "Rhett paused."You're even in our bed. Sometimes I swear she's thinking of you when she and I are –"

"Rhett, please! Enough! You mustn't talk of Scarlett like that! She's your wife! And you're wrong. I know you are!"

"What is it about you, Ashley Wilkes?" Rhett repeated. "Do you know how many times I've wanted to squeeze her head and force the thoughts of you out of them?" To illustrate, he put his hands on Ashley's temples and squeezed.

"Rhett, please, stop it!" Ashley grabbed Rhett's hands with his own and tried to pull them away.

Rhett's hands were warm, and Ashley unconsciously started caressing them.

Rhett seemed surprised, and dropped his hands. "Is that how you do it? You touch her like that? Disarm her with your caresses? "

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-I was just trying to calm you down."

"Really? Is that what you thought that touch was? Calming? "

Ashley nodded, feeling very confused.

"Well, it wasn't." Rhett leaned in again and brought his hands to Ashley's face. "It was a sensual touch, a sexual one" He paused. "The kind you would give a lover. Is that how you do it? How you have such a stronghold on her? You act so innocent and harmless, all the while spinning your little webs?"

"I've never done that! I loved my wife, and my wife is dead! I'm not interested in having another!"

"No, but maybe you need some comforting? Or, maybe you have so much pent up passion in you because you've been alone? Is that it? You're lonely?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Ashley yelled. "You have no idea how I feel."

"No, but I know that how you feel affects my wife. It always has. I don't understand it. You have something she wants. Is it in the way you kiss her? "He came close to Ashley again."Maybe I should see what is so fascinating about you!" and before Ashley could protest Rhett was kissing him, crushing Ashley's mouth with his own. Forcing Ashley's lips apart, kissing him deeply, forcefully, biting down hard on his lips and his tongue. Making Ashley moan and sigh and pull him closer.

Their bodies moving closer so that they were melded together. Straining against each other wildly.

Rhett pulled away for a moment. "Goddamn you", was all he said, and then he kissed him once more.

Ashley felt like his world was spinning out of control, and it scared the hell out of him. But he couldn't help the way his body was responding.

Rhett was right-he did have pent up passion, and he was very, very lonely.

And Rhett's passion, his forcefulness, even his fury was making him feels alive, and somehow less alone.

When Rhett's hands started moving down to his robe Ashley protested. He couldn't do this. He couldn't let another man touch him. It shouldn't be a man's hands running over his chest, brushing over his nipples, sliding down his stomach. It shouldn't be a man's hands rubbing circles down his back, grasping his ass. Rhett's hands shouldn't be stroking his cock as his mouth made a trail down Ashley's neck, down to his shoulders. Biting him, marking him.

Ashley shouldn't be responding to those touches and kisses, moaning and making noises of encouragement. He knew he shouldn't be saying things like, "Oh my God, please don't stop! Please, please," Ashley couldn't believe he was responding and shaking and sobbing from his aching need.

He couldn't believe it was his hands on Rhett's body, tugging at his shirt, pulling it open, laying eager kisses down his chest, licking his navel.

And then Ashley was on his knees opening Rhett's pants and stroking him, needing to hear the same moans coming out of Rhett's mouth that he was making.

Before long they were both on the floor, moving together, Ashley's robe discarded, Rhett's clothes joining it, forming a pile.

The two of them pulled each other as close as they could, rolling over and over, pushing and rubbing against one another. Rubbing hard enough to chafe each other's skin.

Each man wanting to get under the skin of the other.

Rhett felt like he was outside of his body. As though he were watching someone else doing the things he himself was doing with his lips, his tongue and his hands. The more his hands and mouth explored Ashley the more he realized why Scarlett carried her bizarre fascination with her after all this time.

The man, so unassuming and almost bland outwardly, was in reality filled with what seemed to be an unquenchable passion. Each touch, each kiss, each moan that came from Ashley's mouth made it clearer to Rhett.

When the frantic touching became too much, lips replaced hands and Rhett felt Ashley's mouth on his cock, enveloping him in heat and what shortly became liquid fire. Rhett came with an explosiveness that was part rage, part relief, and an overwhelming feeling of passion.

Ashley buried his face between Rhett's legs and licked every last drop of come off him. Gasping for breath and practically sobbing with need, he kept moaning and biting Rhett's inner thighs, seemingly unwilling to break their contact.

When Rhett's breathing normalized he gently raised Ashley's head up, pulling his body up so he could kiss Ashley's lips.

Laying him down on the rug, Rhett took his time exploring Ashley's body. He told himself it was to see what was so special about it to Scarlett, but a part of him knew that wasn't all there was to it.

He was enjoying himself. Stroking, licking and moving him down to Ashley's straining and aching cock. Taking it in his hands, leisurely stroking it, caressing Ashley's balls, smiling when Ashley's soft whimpers became pleading moans again.

"Relax" Rhett ordered, and then started to lick and suck on Ashley's cock.

Before long though, Rhett was spurred on by Ashley's response as well as by the feel and taste of him. And Rhett's movements and sucking became as needy and frantic as the sounds coming out of Ashley's mouth.

When Ashley came his whole body spasmed, shook and trembled. Rhett had this bizarre desire to comfort him, to soothe him.

So he did, holding Ashley to him until the trembling and the shaking stopped.

They kissed some more. Leisurely kisses, gentle kisses that were punctuated by sighs and softly whispered reassurances.

Rhett sighed deeply.

He had come here looking for his wife, and failing that he'd wanted to fight with the man he held responsible for his wife's actions.

He'd wanted to break Ashley down, find out what was so damned irresistible about him.

He accomplished both, but he never expected it to happen this way.

Rhett now knew what was so endlessly fascinating to Scarlett.

Ashley was so different from Scarlett, so different from Rhett himself. Rhett had believed that would make Scarlett realize the two of them belonged together.

Now that he'd been with Ashley, he could understand his wife better.

Ashley being different from them was part of what drew them in.

That and the passion which was so unexpected in one so seemingly placid. It was a heady feeling, to think you could bring that need, that passion out of someone. It was a powerful feeling, acting like an aphrodisiac.

Like a drug.

His wife was addicted to the passion she saw in Ashley, and she was addicted to the fact that she could make him feel it. She could make him express it.

The fact that it was against his will probably make it even more exciting to her.

Rhett knew it had made it more exciting for him.

But Ashley really hadn't put up much resistance. He'd been eager, out of control.

The contrast to the normally staid Mr. Wilkes was amazing to see.

It didn't hurt that Ashley could do things with his hands and his lips that Rhett had never experienced before.

And one thing Rhett was not was inexperienced.

Rhett looked down at Ashley and knew that this was not the last time he'd visit him.

It wasn't the last time he'd have Ashley's mouth on his, feel those lips and those fingers stroking him, touching him. Wasn't the last time he'd taste himself on Ashley's lips.

He knew that one day soon he was going to be deep inside Ashley's body. Breaking down any walls that remained between them.

He wanted to claim him, wanted to mark him.

Rhett sighed.

He was the one who'd been marked and claimed by the very talented and deceptively passionate Mr. Wilkes.

"Goddamn you, Ashley," Rhett said again.

Ashley looked at Rhett -and smiled.


End file.
